Process of preserving meats.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF EMMERICH, OF MUNICH, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF PRESERVING MEATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,374, dated August13, 1901.

Application filed March 28, 1898. Serial No. 675,474- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLF EMMERIOH, a citizen of Germany, residing atMunich, in the Kingdom of Bavaria and Empire of Germany, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Preserving Meats; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the art of preserving meats.

In those processes for the preservation of meat hitherto known to me ithas been usual to subdivide and trim the carcass without regard to theretention of the natural bacteria and fungus proof coatings, such as themembranes, sinews, &c. The subdivided portions have then sometimes beentreated with various chemicals for the purpose of destroying orpreventing the development of bacteria or mold on the freshly-cutsurfaces. Such treat ment resulted in serious injury to the qualities ofthe meat, altering its taste in a disadvantageous manner, reducing itsnourishing qualities,- renderingit less digestible, and, indeed, in somecases causing it to be actually injurious to health. Instead of treatingthe subdivided portions with chemicals it has sometimes been exposed tothe action of heat or of cold, such as in jerking the meat or infreezing it. By such exposure the flesh loses the desirable qualities offresh or raw meat. By my method the above-named disadvantages arelargely, if not entirely, overcome, as will be fully understood by thoseskilled in the art from the description hereinafter.

My invention consists in retaining on the carcass as much of the naturalbacteria-proof and mold-proof membranes and sinews as possible and thenpacking the carcass in a sterilized hygroscopic material.

To carry out my method, the carcass of the slaughtered animal is notsubdivided, or, if it be absolutely necessary that some subdivisionshould be made, the subdivisions are as few as possible, so that theywill be largely protected by the natural membranes and sinews of thecarcass and so that there will be as few out surfaces as possible. Ofcourse it is obvious that in the slaughtering of an animal some such cutsurfaces will result. These, however, as above stated, should be as fewas possible and must be protected from the attacks of bacteria orfungus. In order to do this and as a part of my method, I treat such cutsurfaces with an antiseptic or germi cidal solution or material,preferably vinegar and salt, until the cut surfaces are acted upon to aslight depth. That portion of the car cass which is protected bymembranes or sinews is also preferably treated with such a germicidal orantiseptic solution for the purpose of killing any germs which may beupon the exterior of such membranes or sinews and to assist in renderingthe said membranes and sinews better able to resist the attacks ofbacteria or fungus. The carcass or the large subdivisions of it, ifnecessity compels that some subdivisions be made, are then packed in ahygroscopic sterilized mass which is pressed into close contact with theentire surface of the carcass or portion thereof. This packing materialmay be saw-dust or the like, which is sterilized and dried by .means ofheat prior to its use as packing material, and While still warm ispressed into all the cavities of the carcass and into close contact withall the surfaces. The object of. this packing is to absorb the moistureof the membranes and sinews and of the outer surfaces of the cutportions, whereby the latter are dried and kept dry in order that theattacks of bacteria will be reduced to a minimum, In order to increasethe efficiency of the sawdust when such is employed as a packingmaterial, the said saw-dust may be impregnated with a suitableantiseptic prior to being heated-for instance, with a solution of salt.For the purpose of retaining the packing material in and around thecarcasses they are prefer ably packed in boxes, casks, or the like.

By my process it will be found that the 7 best success is attained whenthe carcass is not subdivided, trimmed, oi' skinned, it being advisableto retain even the hide on the carcass. The result is that the fleshwill be preserved in its natural and fresh condition for in a length oftime sufficient to allow the meat to be transported long distances andheld in storage for a reasonable time awaiting a market.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, .is

1. The process of preserving meats which consists in treating theexterior of the meat on which the natural membranes and sinews includingthe hide have been left, with an antiseptic and then packing the saidcarcass in hygroscopic sterilized material.

. 2. The process of preserving meats which consists in treating theexterior of the meat, on which the natural membranes and sinewsincluding the hide have been left, with an antiseptic, and then packingthe saidcarcass with dried and sterilized sawdust.

3. The process of preserving meats which consists in treating theexterior of the meat,

in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLF EMMERICH.

Witnesses EMIL HENZEL, N. VERDosT-ETTER.

